Premier League: Manchester City turn on the style to beat Swansea City 5-0
Manchester City turned on the style in their first match since being confirmed Premier League champions, as Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne led the way
in a 5-0win over Swansea City.
Having already wrapped up the title, motivation had been highlighted as a potential problem for City at the EtihadStadiumon Sunday, butPep Guardiola’s men
produced a professional display befitting of their remarkable campaign, sweeping Swansea aside in straightforward fashion.
Although a 2-0 lead famously proved inadequate recently against Manchester United, City never looked like throwing victory away against a far inferior Swansea
side.
Sterling played a key role in those two early goals, helping set up David Silva’s opener before finding the net himself soon after, as City found themselves two
up after just 16 minutes.
READ | Olivier GIroud, Alvaro Morata guide Chelsea FC to FA Cup 2018 final
Swansea initially managed to tighten things up toprevent City from adding to their lead, but the in-form De Bruyneblasted in the hosts’ third from 30 yards early in
the second half.
Bernardo Silva convertedfrom close range after Gabriel Jesus saw a penalty saved, with City’s comfort allowing a late cameo for Benjamin Mendy after seven
months out with a knee injury, and therout was capped as Jesus atoned for his failure from the spot.
Any questions about potential City complacency were quickly and emphatically answered, as the champions roared into a commanding lead.
City carved their visitors open for the first, as they patiently probed before Sterling was found onthe left side of the area and, although his pull back was initially
cut out by Alfie Mawson, David Silva pounced and rifled into the bottom-right corner.
Silva also played a crucial role for the second, releasing Fabian Delph in behind Kyle Naughton, the City left-back squaringacross the face of goal to tee Sterling
up for an easy finish.
READ | Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal swansong starts with Premier League win vs West Ham
The hosts’ relentless start cooled somewhat soon after their second goal, though Lukasz Fabianski still had to be at his best to deny De Bruyne in the 33rd
minute, getting down to his right to keep the Belgian’s left-footed drive out of the bottom corner.
De Bruyne was then the first to threaten in the second half, cutting in from the left and blasting a right-footed effort into the side-netting.
But he found his range nine minutes after the restart, putting City 3-0 up in spectacular fashion, as he unleashed a ferocious 30-yard drive thatfound the top-left
corner.
And 10 minutes laterCity had a fourth after Federico Fernandez tripped Sterling in the area – Bernardo Silva slotting in from just a few yards out after Fabianski
tipped Jesus’ penalty on to the post.
Guardiola introduced Mendy 15 minutes from time for his first appearance since suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in September.







